“There is a reason New York City is called “The City that Never Sleeps,” and it is not for reasons we have all become accustomed to.”

…on Sunday I made up for this undue domesticity by taking an all-day jaunt to elder regions. Whoopee! The past for me! I embarked on the Staten Island ferry, and was soon in the land of quaint villages that might have been five hundred miles from any metropolis.

~~from a letter by HP Lovecraft to his Aunt date 9/1924

This anthology of 19 urban horror stories explores the dark corners, shadowy alleys and mysterious underworld of all five boroughs of New York City providing the true reason why The City Never Sleeps.

“… if logic rings true, then in turn there should be unbounded danger in exploring what you don’t (know), but what gives Myth Ink and all under it’s roof the edge is the injecting of what you don’t know into that oh so familiar crèche of what you do…” ~~Luke Spooner, Artist’s Note

The None Percent, written by Warren Frey, Illustrated by Luke Spooner

The collection opens with an Introduction by Peter Rawlik, Author of ReAnimators & The Weird Company, “these stories…draw the reader in, transport them to New York City and immerse you in that metropolitan sprawl and let you fend for yourself….”

Dark Tales from Elder Regions: New York explores the unknown, shadowy corners many residents tend not to notice, but at the same turn see something out of the corner of their eye.

Below we explore a few of the 19 stories, but for good reason do not wish to give it all away….

“Roebling’s Monster,” by Award Winning Author & Actress, Leanna Renee Hieber starts the anthology off and for good reason:

“Roebling’s Monster is a magnificent piece of prose poetry, of fantastic, almost theistic monologue, and sets the stage for every story that comes after it. In one incredible work we are transported away from the mundane New York City and into a dark phantasmagorical version where anything is possible, but there is always a price.”

It is only fitting that once we enter the City proper, we return to the Dutch Burial Ground once visited by H.P. Lovecraft with “The Hand of Bone,” by W.H. Pugmire. As Lovecraft has inspired our title and many a story in this volume, Pugmire’s tale is a cleverly wrought tale that echoes Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft and “reminds us that not all horrors need to be shadowed in darkness.”

Hand of Bone by Wilum H PugmireIllustrated by Luke Spooner

Leaking by David Neilsen Illustrated by Luke Spooner

What horrific entities reside in the subway tunnels, and what does a train rider do about it? “Leaking,” by celebrated Sleepy Hollow Storyteller David Neilsen is our guide on this journey. When we ride the subway and await quietly on the platform, the last we expect to see is a personification of Death come to visit us, as recorded by legendary writer John Peel, author of numerous Doctor Who, Star Trek, and renown horror novels such as Shattered and Talons.

When we grow disillusioned with the City where can we escape to? Does a hidden utopia exist within New York City? If it does exist what price does it exact. Celebrated Author Gregory Norris, screenwriter on Star Trek: Voyager, author of paranormal novels, and Editor/Contributor to The Call of Lovecraft, takes us on this twisted, fantastical journey.

The world of the paranormal takes us on new twisted routes of understanding death and ghosts, with Jessica Burke’s “Ghosting,” Christopher Mancuso’s “Remembering Peter,” and Warren Frey’s “The None Percent” or murderous urban legends with Colleen Wanglund’s “The Mad Monk Of St. Augustines,”

Perhaps a visit with The King In Yellow and a maddening trip with The Yellow Sign is more your fancy as explored by D.J. Tyrer, “Beautiful Dreams,” and Anthony Burdge in “The Lonely Boat.”

A volume such as this would not be complete without a visit to historical locations and alternative views of historical New York City events as explored by Boroughs of the Dead Founder & Tour Guide, Andrea Janes in “Retro-Viral,” and Gordon Linzner’s “The Professor’s New York Adventure.”

These are but a few examples of the urban horrors to expect within DARK TALES FROM ELDER REGIONS: NEW YORK .

We do not leave New York City without a final exploration of the fear of the dark and the eternal battle of the Light and Dark. We are very grateful to have aboard Brian J. Cano in providing our Afterword, which discusses our journey through the horrors of New York City within Dark Tales From Elder Regions: New York. Brian J Cano of SyFy’s Haunted Collector, Filmmaker at Core Films & SCARED! TV, paranormal investigator, parapsychologist & philosopher in his own right is the perfect author to complete our journey.

Remembering Peter by Christopher MancusoIllustrated by Luke Spooner

“Everything from ghosts and shadow people to unnamed things lurk in these pages, some seem inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, and others are vague and mysterious in their own right…. it was Edgar Allan Poe, Lovecraft, Mary Shelly and Bram Stoker that inspired my art and love for all dark things and the fiction contained here ranked pretty close to the level of what I would call a modern tribute to the horror genre inspired by the Romantic and Victorian authors of old. If you are looking for chilling tales to read before bed to inspire either your own spooky creations or just love to be scared, then Dark Tales from Elder Regions is the perfect book to add to your library.”—Corvis Nocturnum (E.R. Vernor) author of: Allure Of The Vampire; Our Sexual Attraction To The Undead, and most recently, Zombie Nation; From Folklore to Modern Frenzy.

“If you love New York City in all its shapes and guises (and who doesn’t?) and are a fan of well-crafted horror fiction of every variety, you’ll relish the new Myth Ink Books collection of 20 vividly weird stories all set in The Big Apple, Dark Tales from Elder Regions: New York. These highly inventive tales tap into the city’s luridly storied past as well as the gritty opulence of its present and are rich in historical detail and cultural nuance. It’s almost like a trip to NYC and far cheaper than an airline ticket. So grab your reading glasses, pack your carry on bag, and get ready for some delicious shudders, cheap thrills, and heady visions in the city that puts the Gothic into Gotham, with this fine selection of stories that bring chilling nightmares to the city that never sleeps.”

“Dark Tales From the Elder Regions: New York is an anthology book that will give you goosebumps and make your inner child go in the fetal position more than once when you’re reading it. … Dark Tales is not the kind of ‘in your face’ horror that tells details of blood letting and gore. It permeates your mind little by little and you find yourself thinking of that creature in the tunnels out of the blue long after you’ve read the story. The words will capture your attention, but the stories themselves will sneak up behind you and slit your throat. And these authors are seriously, creepily great at building a scene and delivering in unexpected ways.”—Dave Royce, Horror Cabin